Women Led Businesses

Atrangi Studio brings to your doorstep artforms which are 2000-year-old traditional artwork taught to artisans living in the innermost regions of India. It sells Trays, Wall Clocks, Lamps, coasters, Fridge magnets - you name it, they make it just the way you like it. Customized home decor is any home designer's dream come true and if it means you are giving an artisan a way to make a living in these tough times when they would have no exhibitions or sale - what could be better? We have one person to thank for all this - Anjali Hamirwasia! It started as a passion project with DIY workshops on Instagram but now has grown into a full-fledged business running from her home studio. Listen to the full episode to learn more about Thollu artwork and what kindled the start of Atrangi Studio and what keeps it going.  Website : https://atrangistudio.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atrangistudio/

Shireen Mullick, an English Teacher by Day and an entrepreneur by night. When the pandemic struck, she started 2 things - a cooking channel on Youtube and a company that makes chemical-free natural soaps for all skin types. She is full of energy and sleeps very little, working on her designs  to give Gen Z an entirely new experience. She makes bath bombs, gift hampers, and beautiful soaps that don't look like the ordinary bar soaps one is so used to seeing, but instead are shaped like flowers or mermaids which kids adore. She customizes the soap as per a customer's needs and educates the young generation on which nature's ingredient works best for their skin type. I had a lot of fun recording this podcast solely because of her overwhelming energy and joy. Listen to the entire episode as she shares her passion and determination which took her from seeing a simple DIY video to building a company today.  Link to her website: https://shireenmullick.wixsite.com/website Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturemagicsoap/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nature_magic_soap/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaNkV6TAd5bK35OThv1zxsA Sheroes Internet Saathi : https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/google-partners-with-sheroes-to-scale-accelerator-program-for-rural-women-entrepreneurs/article33391311.ece

Sreepriya Radhakrishnan and her team of passionate technologists, started a community all the way back in 2017, just to go in groups to attend tech conferences. Today that community has grown into a registered non-profit foundation - The Pehia Foundation and is the largest women in technology communities in Kerala, that helps people of any gender to learn more about different trending technology. Questioning norms of yesterday and today, she and her friends continue to brainstorm and solve problems instead of just being victims. Pehia also plans to venture out to more sections of the society - the high school students, the transgenders - to provide direction, a safe space to learn, and a comfortable environment where each and every member is free to pick up any topic of interest, work on it and build applications or solutions. Listen to the whole episode to hear how this community was initiated and continues to inspire more women to join STEM courses and take up tech jobs.  Their website - https://www.pehia.org/ The discord link to join the community: https://discord.gg/thKDygBX

Rabab Mirza, a graduate of NIFT, used to make customized birthday and anniversary cards for her loved ones and they were too good to not be sold so that's what she did. Her customers tell her about the person they want to surprise on a special occasion and she pours out her creativity into making unique designs that pertain solely to that special person. With a bright smile on her face always, Rabab set out to brighten up the lives of others around her with her art and love for art. She takes workshops for tiny tots and encourages everyone to try their hand at art. She makes portraits, caricatures, bookmarks, rakhis, and a wide variety of other artsy gifts. Listen to the whole episode to find out how she started and what keeps her going.  Check out her Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/houseoflemonyellow/  Rabab's shop on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/HouseofLemonYellow

The Pink Box is not only creating an eCommerce platform to find essential items every menstruator might need, but also the much-needed change in our society around menstruation. Their goal is to make India a period-positive country. With relatable comics, Instagram posts and reels, and even Campaigns that reach the underprivileged, Sanjana and her team are on a mission to normalize discussing periods and the need for taking extra care during these days of pain. The easy to choose subscription model makes your period tension-free and even zero-waste if you opt to make the switch to menstrual cups which we discuss in the episode. Doctors, Nutritionists, and a helpline number are all available to you at the tip of your fingers making you feel not alone in this natural process, even if you have PCOD/PCOS.  Sanjana's conviction to making this line of products and her dedication to include new services every other month is truly inspiring! Listen to the entire episode to learn how she got started and what more she and her amazing team of talented designers are up to in the coming months with The Pink Box. Sign up for your pack of love during periods at https://www.thepinkboxindia.com or gift your loved one a PinkBox Gift card from https://www.thepinkboxindia.com/products/the-pink-box-gift-card https://www.instagram.com/thepinkboxindia/

This backend python developer has more than one passion in life and spends all her free time upskilling in both of them. Coding and Art. Ananya started her business of selling commissioned cards, bookmarks, calendars, and miniature framed art pieces, --  all by chance. If not known for her art skills, she is definitely known for her collaboration giveaways with several small-scale female-led businesses which she purchases from and would vouch for any day. Listen to this light-hearted conversation where she shares how being a developer and learning to think like one helped her break down the steps of building a business, and being an artist helps keep her sanity. Choosing the best of both worlds, she tells us how she deals with every challenge that comes her way with a smile and finds joy in the beautiful mess of both worlds - software and artistic galaxies.  Shop at: https://www.instagram.com/shopby.anan/

Akriti Mittal, is an artist, an MBA, an engineer and a certified therapeutic art coach who loves colours so much she went about creating her own set of colours when she ran out of them in her shade card. Talk about necessity being the mother of invention.  With her family already rooting for her, Akriti is keen to bring joy to every home with her shimmers and sparkling colour palettes. She has more than 1 million viewers on Pinterest as an artist and has built a business of creating and selling paints with colours that don't exist in the usual Camilin box of paints.  Listen to the entire episode to learn about how she took the plunge into entrepreneurship 5 months ago quitting her 9-5 grill because of her passion and a determination to always find the time to do what her heart wants to do. https://in.pinterest.com/TheArtTheorybyAkriti/ https://www.instagram.com/theory_theshop/

Madhu S, an artist, a surface pattern designer, an entrepreneur, and a Certified NLP expert is set to doing what excites her, "art". Her artwork is sold across the globe and she believes in its power of expression and therapy as she names each piece of art something so meaningful that it resonates with the customers every time they see it. She shares the journey of going from making what was just a hobby at first to help calm her down from a hectic day at work(Fashion Incubator) to a full-time business - Femvisionary. Unexpectedly it not only turned out to be enjoyable but also fruitful for several of her students who enroll for courses like "Watercolour brushstroke florals", which she should have a patent for. She also offers a wide variety of merchandise with these famous floral designs on them. Listen to the full episode as Madhu shares several tips on how women should be okay with calling themselves an entrepreneur, with not doing everything themselves, and so on. Check out all the links below to learn more about Madhu's work as she is set to launch a bunch of courses focusing on helping artists set up their own businesses, next month i.e. Feb 2021.  Website: https://www.femvisionary.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femvisionary/ Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/femvisionary/_created/ Teachable:  https://femvisionary.teachable.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/femvisionary

In this episode, we meet my school friend Lulu Nazer from M.E.S. Indian School. She used to be an interior designer and has been painting since college and selling her artwork for several years now. "If you do what you love, you won't have to work a single day" Resolving to live by this principle, Lulu has worked as an Art Professor and now focuses full time on her commissions and creating beautiful sceneries, intricate design, and mesmerizing pieces of paintings. She shares the challenges she faced, what keeps inspiring her and how her skill breaks the status quo in her extended family. With WLB podcast episodes on artists, like Lulu, I hope to normalize art and men and women choosing to do arts instead of computers, math, or science.   https://www.instagram.com/ecstacy_by_lulu/?hl=en

Maya Mohan, an architect by profession and a foodie at heart, decided to bring forth the tastes, authentic recipes and medicines of Kerala to all of India, along with her family. Kalchatti is an online store where you can order unadulterated organic pickles, all the original masalas which go into Kerala's dishes.  Listen to this fun conversation (hopefully without drooling) as Maya explains how the research, marketing, and online publicity is being done for this venture which aims to sell mouth-watering cuisines and to create awareness regarding the goodness of the kind of food that originates from every state.  We are what we eat eventually right. :P This platform is also a dream come true for Maya's Mom, who is the source of inspiration and also the main supplier of all the spicy pickles and snacks they would be selling.  Mom-led business it is. :)  Order Now: https://www.kalchatti.com/about-us Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_kalchatti_/

"I saw a pattern in my circle of friends. "  Julian on why this podcast was started in the first place. The objective and the aim of this podcast.   

Juliana Biju is an energetic young woman who founded Uptown Tees in her college days. She has been working on expanding this company, which sells customized tee-shirts to colleges and corporates alike,  ever since. An upcoming admit to KEDGE Business school, Juliana hopes to continue working on this side hustle online as it has become a stable and growing brand now. They are on Amazon too! Tune in and listen to a fun conversation on how she started, what challenges she faced, and what are her plans for the future of Uptown tees.